Thursday, March 19, 2015

Every now and again a game comes along that comes out of
nowhere, challenges the big boys on the block, knocks a few heads around, and
walks away victorious with trophy in hand. Not too long ago that game was LittleBigPlanet for the PS3. When it released in 2008, it
surprised a lot of people with its fun yet challenging platforming, and
customization. Despite the cute look of the game (who can forget the iconic SackBoy,
pseudo-mascot for the PS3 for some people), LittleBigPlanet
offered gamers the ability to not only decorate their characters with a variety
of skins (even some from other popular
franchises), but to also create levels for the online community to enjoy
and challenge themselves.

I got my first taste of the series with a free copy of LittleBigPlanet 2 I received and it did not disappoint. Not
only was I sucked in by the platforming and the adorable childhood
real-world-imagination-inspired look of the game, but my fiancée was so taken
by the costumes and cuteness that it instantly became a couple’s game for us to
enjoy together. We had so much fun that I knew I’d have to pick up LittleBigPlanet 3 when it came up (not like my fiancée would
give me a choice in the matter). Surely the folks over at Sony and Sumo Digital
wouldn’t disappoint.

Unfortunately for us, not only did LittleBigPlanet 3 disappoint; it was flat out awful. I’m sorry to
those of you who are willing to look past a game’s many faults to find the
“silver lining”, but I’m not going to be an apologist for a game that’s so
buggy that it can make the game frustrating on a level that borders unplayable.
At first you don’t notice the issues as much, because they happen infrequently;
however, the more you play, the more you notice things, like your SackPerson
falling through a floor and getting stuck, or losing control over your
SackPerson for a few seconds as you watch them helplessly careen into DOOM
because you can’t stop them from running left.

The most common thing you'll see the entire game.

Those are just two examples of many times I found myself
wondering how such a great franchise could have a game so obviously flawed and
in need of further testing released to the public. Even my fiancée, who is a
saint compared to me and my levels of patience, found the game’s frequent bugs
so upsetting that she asked if we could stop playing for the night. It just got
to the point that it wasn’t even worth playing anymore, and that’s
unacceptable.

However, bugs, glitches, and straight-up broken-ness aren’t
the only issues that cause LittleBigPlanet
3 to suffer. The most glaring was the time it took to load anything in the
game. Loading screen times were long – I’m talking
1990’s-PS1-RPG-with-multiple-discs long. When you’re 2 systems and 10 years
removed from those kinds of issues yet suffer from them, you’re doing something
wrong. It was so bad that there was a running joke between me and my fiancée –
when a loading screen came up we’d ask one another to do something like go
change the oil in the car or make dinner while we waited. It was funny at
first, but eventually the jokes and the loading times got old and we just
stopped caring.

Another issue, albeit a minor one, with LittleBigPlanet 3 was the presentation of the game. Mainly the
story and characters were dull and uninspired. You’re transported to a new
planet in the universe, Bunkum, by an unskilled creator named Newton. He asks
your help to defeat an evil witch who is bent on freeing three evil spirits who
will steal all creativity and imagination from the world forever. When you
confront the witch, there are a few twists, things go wrong, and the spirits
are released. You’re now tasked with freeing three legendary heroes to help you
stop the evil spirits once and for all. It’s a tale so simple that a child
could’ve written it, which might be the point, but with a weak story, I’m going
to need a little more to grab hold of me.

Brave warriors of fabric, assemble!

While the story of LittleBigPlanet
2 wasn’t anything to write home about either, the characters and
voice-acting (especially Robbie Stevens as Larry Da Vinci) were brilliant
enough to make me forget about the simplicity of the plot and enjoy the
experience. There was no such brilliance to distract me from the shortcomings
of LittleBigPlanet3, as the
characters were barely introduced, had little to no backstory, and overall felt
forced upon the player for no other reason than to move the story along. Couple
that with voice-acting that was over-the-top annoying (e.g. – dialogue that
dragged on so much that I found a better use for my time in the form of a
bathroom break) and you can see why it was hard not to focus on the frustrating
bugs in the game.

Like any game (well, almost
any game), LittleBigPlanet 3 does
have some redeeming qualities. The introduction to three new playable
characters adds some welcome variety to the platforming elements of the game.
One character (and my personal favorite), OddSock, is a speedy
running character who can run and jump up walls. The style of gameplay tests
gamers in precision unlike any previous game in the series has to date, and I
personally enjoyed the levels featuring OddSock (when they weren’t broken) the
most. The second addition is that of Toggle, a shapeshifting
SackPerson who can flip between a large, lumbering, and brutish state, and a
smaller, faster, and more maneuverable form. While the puzzling elements
involving Toggle were challenging, they were more on par with what one
experience with SackBoy, and wasn’t as impressive at those featuring OddSock.
Lastly, you could play as Swoop,
my fiancée‘s personal favorite. Swoop is a bird and as you might expect
requires you to fly and swoop through obstacles and around enemies. The Swoop
levels added the most difficult challenges because the player is required to
tap X repeatedly to keep Swoop in flight, and combining that with near constant
motion and avoiding obstacles made for some fun yet difficult levels.

Apart from the new characters and gameplay elements, LittleBigPlanet 3 also introduces new
Power-Ups for your SackPerson to use, each giving you a special ability to
progress through a level or reach previously inaccessible areas in a level to
find more collectibles. Many of them were fun to play with but the method used
to switch between them via your Popit menu was tedious and broke the flow of
gameplay, especially in levels requiring the use of one or more power-ups.

This was actually fun...when you had the chance to do it.

Unfortunately, my fiancée and I did not get to explore the
level creator and other community-based functions of LittleBigPlanet 3. This was purely due to the fact that we gave up on
a game that is so glaringly in need of fixes and couldn’t find any reason to
return once I beat the game (and I mean that I beat the game solo, because my
fiancée rage quit for the last time near the end of the game and vowed never to
return). It was a large disappointment for both of us that the third
installment of this charming franchise didn’t even come close to living up to
its predecessors. However, if there is a silver lining in all of this
negativity (I guess I’ll go there), it’s that the bug and glitching problems
plaguing LittleBigPlanet 3 are still
100% fixable. While it wouldn’t fix the loading times and the story/character
issues, it would make the game more inviting for those of us who want a more
consistent experience with our video games.

I wish I could say I recommend LittleBigPlanet 3 to gamers and fans of the previous installments,
but there simply isn’t enough to be done that can cause me to overlook how
broken the game can be at times. There’s still a ton of cuteness in the game,
and if you’re one with a creative and imaginative mind, I’m sure you can find
plenty to do with character customization and level editing. I, however, am not
that type of person, and therefore cannot say with confidence that anyone would
have a pleasant, cohesive romp through Bunkum in the main campaign mode. Not
even SackBoy’s tongue-wagging happiness can sway me to the light.

Wednesday, March 04, 2015

As a big Final Fantasy
fan, I wish I could tell you when my first experience with the fabled and
widely celebrated JRPG series occurred. I know when I absolutely fell in love
with the series – that was when I played Final
Fantasy VII for the first time on the original PlayStation (much like a lot
of people around my age, living in North America). Still, I know that I had
exposure to the series earlier than that, but all I have to go on is a vague
memory from my childhood of playing a very difficult RPG on my SNES that I
rented from a local Blockbuster. I assume the game was Final Fantasy III (or Final
Fantasy VI to fans across the Pacific), but my memory is so foggy I can’t
be positive.

The memory has haunted me for a long time, because I know I
never finished that game long ago, and as big a fan I am of Final Fantasy, I’ve actually only beaten
four games in the numbered series (and one of those is a sequel): Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy IX, Final
Fantasy X, and Final Fantasy X-2.
Honestly, that’s a pretty pathetic list for somebody who claims to be a fan. I
can easily chalk it up to my youth when a lot of the games were released (I was
born in 1986), but I’ve been an adult for way too long with a steady income to
have any more excuses, especially since a lot of games have been ported to
other systems for North American audiences.

I then began researching what it would take to play every
numbered game in the series in order. As a resident in North America, I’m well
aware of the odd releases and numbering surrounding some of the games (like Final Fantasy IV released in North
America as Final Fantasy II for the
SNES), and I started to realize this might be very befuddling to some gamers
and fans of the series. I then decided I would create a helpful guide for those
who wish to play any of the Final Fantasy
series without the confusion. I’ve included the actual order of the numbered
games below, and what systems folks in North America can play the game on, as
well as any alternate names. I hope you find this helpful.

There, now you North American fans of the much-loved Final Fantasy series have no more
excuses when it comes to playing the numbered series in its entirety (and in
order). I’m well aware that there are plenty of sequels and prequels and
spin-offs of the main series games, and I have no problem with folks playing the
sequels as a part of the experience. However, I believe that the original
numbered games in the series are the stars of the show and that is why I’ve
only included them in this list. I hope you’ve found this guide helpful, and
good luck to any fans out there who plan on tackling this amazing series in
order.

*I understand that
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is not the original 14th game
released. However, seeing as how Final Fantasy XIV Online failed and was
eventually overhauled into ARR, and now that the original game servers are
down, there is no legitimate way to play Final Fantasy XIV Online. Therefore,
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is the logical choice for the 14th
game in the series.

I’m a bit behind on my
write-ups for the #52GameChallenge, so this one is going to be shorter than
others. I didn’t quite enjoy the experience as much as I thought I would, and
I’d rather spend more time on other games I’ve played. Apologies to anyone who
loves CBFD.

Even though the Nintendo 64 is my favorite console of all
time (mainly for nostalgia, but the library isn’t half-bad either), there are
still plenty of games for the plucky retro system that I haven’t played. One of
those games is the infamous, lewd, and foul-mouthed Conker’s Bad Fur Day. One of the reasons is obvious – I was way too
young to play it when it released in 2000. The other reason is because it’s a
fairly uncommon game to find and therefore is a bit expensive, especially in
good condition complete-in-box. Recently I had a stroke of luck and found a
good copy via a friend who gave me a huge
discount and was finally able to play this mature game I’d heard so much about.

Okay, maybe "mature" isn't the proper term. I'm old enough.

Now I wish I could say that I really enjoyed the game, but
overall I found it frustrating and a little boring. While the dialogue is
hilarious and pokes a lot of fun at gaming conventions, I found the lack of
direction frustrating, and the platforming elements wore thin really quick.
There simply wasn’t enough variety to keep me interested in each new world for
long. Even when Conker goes FPS, those segments didn’t control well at all and
the game was less than forgiving as a result (but the cut scenes and movie
references are much appreciated and well done). Combine that with the
ever-present Nintendo 64 camera issues and you’ve got an experience that leads
to a lot of reloads. Fortunately, the game doesn’t take death or lives
seriously and you pick up where you last left off when you die and even when
it’s “Game Over”, so you’ll have no problem giving a difficult segment another
go.

Regardless, the game didn’t live up to the hype. I can see
why this might be though – back in 2000 a game with the crude humor and
violence of CBFD was likely a bit of a shock, especially on the Nintendo 64.
This led to it being ingrained as a barrier-breaking game in many people’s
minds. Combine that with the limited number of games still available in the
world leading to inflated second-hand prices and you’ve got a recipe for a game
with high expectations but will likely fall flat as an average platformer at
best. But look at the bright side Conker – you’ll always have Diddy Kong Racing to fall back on…